31.03.2014 • News

Sotragem Offers to Buy Mothballed LyondellBasell Refinery

Monaco-based oil products trading company Sotragem said it has offered to buy LyondellBasell's mothballed Berre refinery in southeastern France.  

Sotragem declined to say how much the offer was worth, but French industry minister Arnaud Montebourg said the company had presented plans to invest €400 million in the facility over three years. This, he said, could lead to the creation of more than 200 jobs.

LyondellBasell mothballed the refinery in January 2012, having failed to find a buyer since putting it up for sale in May 2011.

If the deal goes through, it would run against the recent trend of European refinery closures in the face of vast overcapacity.

Free Virtual Event

Batteries and Hydrogen: Competitors or Partners?
CHEManager Spotlight

Batteries and Hydrogen: Competitors or Partners?

17 September 2026 | Reserve your spot to learn where solid-state batteries and green hydrogen are headed—and how leading teams are turning them into scalable energy storage solutions.

Special Issue

Circular Plastics Economy
Explore the Future of Plastics

Circular Plastics Economy

This special CHEManager issue explores the industry’s pivotal shift towards a more sustainable, circular plastics value chain. Readers will find expert analysis and real-world solutions for today’s most pressing recycling and regulatory challenges.

Top-Feature

most read

Photo
News • Chemistry

VCI Welcomes US-EU Customs Deal

The German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) welcomes the fact that Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and US President Donald Trump have averted the danger of a trade war for the time being.